Jagir Kaur acquitted of daughter’s murder

Patiala, Punjab: A CBI court in Patiala has acquitted Punjab’s Cabinet minister Bibi Jagir Kaur in the mysterious death of her daughter Harpreet Kaur. She has been convicted of less serious charges of forced abortion and trespassing. She has also been found guilty of kidnapping, forced abortion and illegal confinement.

Harpreet Kaur died under mysterious circumstances on April 20, 2000. Jagir Kaur maintained that Harpreet died en route to a hospital after a severe bout of food poisoning.

The allegations of murder were first made by Jagir Kaur’s son-in-law Kamaljit Singh, who claimed that Harpreet was murdered at the behest of his mother-in-law who was against their relationship which forced them to marry secretly. He also claimed that Harpreet was forced to abort the baby days before she was killed.

Mr Singh appealed to the High Court after which a case of a murder was registered and the case handed over to the CBI.

Bibi Jagir Kaur is considered close to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and was the former president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. She had to resign from the post following this scandal.

Mr Singh has recently written a letter to the CM asking for protection as he fears for his life.

Source: NDTV